Changes in rheology and red blood cell function under recombinant human erythropoietin therapy

The rh-EPO is a potent drug to treat renal anaemia. RBC aggregation is not influenced by the rh-EPO therapy. Membrane elasticity and RBC deformability improve remarkably after rh-EPO which might benefit microcirculation. Rh-EPO therapy can not prolong RBC life span. Obviously uremic milieu alone determines RBC life time. Rh-EPO treatment corrects renal anemia by increasing the number of RBC and the RBC volume.